Category Archives: MaxPreps

The philosopher Plato had a way with words and knew a little something about numbers, too. Of the latter, he said, “A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.”

Plato’s opinion of numbers applies to CIAC tournament rankings. Teams that play in weaker conferences may end up with a top seed. A team that plays against tougher competition may be seeded lower, but they’re often better prepared for states and knock off a higher seed or two.

The higher seeds generally prevail in the CIAC’s softball tournaments. Twenty-one top seeds have won one of the 64 softball state titles this millennium. Twelve No. 2 seeds won a championship. It’s not often that a double-digit seed wins a state title, which Sacred Heart Academy (Hamden) did as a No. 23 seed in the 2011 Class M tourney.

The CIAC baseball tournament would be the gonzo brother to the softball tournament, as it’s always unpredictable. Softball has had six double-digit seeds win state titles this millennium. Baseball has had that many the last three seasons. Last year was as wild as it’s been for baseball, as teams seeded 14, 22 and 27 won championships.

Ned Griffen – MaxPreps.com – The fall sprinted by so fast and has left us with just two weeks left in CIAC girls soccer. It’s the best two weeks of the year, too, as teams in four classes will fight for state championships. Here are 10 teams to watch during the state tournament: Click here to… Continue Reading

Ned Griffen – MaxPreps.com – There are sadly just five weeks remaining in the Connecticut football regular season. It ends on Thanksgiving Day, and teams across the state are hoping to play beyond that in the CIAC playoffs. Here are 10 games worth you going out of your way to see, that will definitely affect the… Continue Reading

Granby Memorial senior Casey Hunt has been chosen to the MaxPreps 2014 Medium Schools All-American Girls Volleyball Team. Hunt was honored as a third-team selection. Hunt led Granby to a 26-0 record and the M state title as she averaged 2.7 kills and served 92 percent with 58 aces. She also had just 11 service… Continue Reading

MaxPreps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association have teamed up to honor the best performances of the week. Foran High School senior Jenna Zacarelli is the first honor for Connecticut this season as the organizations select one recipient from thirty-nine different states each week. Jenna Zacarelli Foran High School (Milford, CT): 3-0 6’1, Senior, Setter/DS… Continue Reading

Connecticut begins its football season later than the rest of the country but, man, was it ever worth the wait! Week 1 was one of the wildest in recent memory, highlighted by two upsets and two near ones. To wit: • Ansonia is still Ansonia. The defending CIAC Class S champions graduated record-setting running back Arkeel Newsome and… Continue Reading

With the 2014 football season just a few weeks away, MaxPreps has unveiled its 2014 Preseason Football Fab 5. It features the top five teams according to MaxPreps entering the season, with profiles of each squad. Read the full story at MaxPreps.com.

They combined for a staggering 917 receptions for 16,017 yards and 208 touchdowns in a single season. And there are only 10 of them. Those are the cumulative statistics of the top 10 receivers nationally (based on yards) returning from the 2013 season. Here’s a capsule look at all 10. The yards numbers aren’t the… Continue Reading

The final two weeks of the regular season were a bit hectic and messy for the Portland (Conn.) baseball team. The ending, however, was all the Highlanders could’ve asked for…and more. Portland, seeded 17th out of 31 teams in the CIAC Class S tournament, won its final five games of the season to win its first… Continue Reading

STRATFORD, Conn. — This season was the first time in the 15-year history of Stonington girls lacrosse that they were a fully funded program. Stonington made sure the money was well spent. It came from behind in the final 10 minutes to beat Granby on Saturday, 13-10, to win the CIAC Class S championship at Bunnell High. It… Continue Reading